Improvement in postal-card files



' BSheets-Sheetl. G. E. ROGERS & A. D. GOODELL.

POSTAL CARD FILES.

Patented. May 2,1876.

PNOTO-LITMOGRAPIIERY. WASHINGTON. D C,

3 Sheets-Sheet Z. G. 3. ROGERS &. A. D. GOODELL.

POSTAL CARD FILES.

Patented May 2,1876.

I 3Sheets-Sheet 3. G. E. ROGERS & A; D. GOODELL POSTAL CARD FILES.

Patented May 2,1876.

.N. PETERS. PHOYO UTHOGRAPHER ASHDNGTON D C UN TED STATES GEORGE E. scenes, or ennnnrrnnn, ANDALBERT D. eoonELL, or MILLERS I PATENT/OFFICE.

FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO GEORGE E. ROGERS.

IMRROVEMEN T IN POISTAIJCARD FILES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 7,010, dated May2, 1876 application filed March 4, 1876- To-all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GE0RGE E. ROGERS, of Greenfield, and ALBERT D. GooDELL, of Millers Falls, both in Franklin county, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Postal-Gard Files for alpha betically arranging the same, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is aperspective view of our postalcard holder. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same, with a file containing postal cards in place therein. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through the centerv of the same. Fig. 4. is a vertical section, representing the manner of securing the difierent portions of the holder together. Fig. 5.is a plan of the indexed file, in which the cards are to be held and assorted, a portion of one of the outer covers being broken away. Fig. 6 is a plan of one of the index-cards of. the file detached. Fig. 7 is a perspective viewof our improved file, filled with postal cards,-remov'ed from the holder, ready to be put awayfor future reference.

Fig. 8 is a plan of a postal card punched at its edges, and ready to be inserted within the.-

file in the holder. Fig. 9 is a view of thefile open, showing the retaining-bands. I I

Our invention has for its object to provide a ready and convenient means of alphabetically arranging postal cards, and filing them for future reference; and consists, first, in a holder adapted to receive the cards, or a file for holding the same, and provided with an adjustablesprin g for confining them in a convenient position, (preferably upright,), where they remain until a sufficient number accumulate to form a package, which may then be removed from the holder and put away.

Our invention also consists in providing the holder with a punch and gage, by which the opposite edges of the cards are cutaway or perforated in such manner as to form, when a series of cards are placed together, a continuous groove or channel for the reception of the cord or band by which they are held together.

Our invention also consists in securing the various portions of the holder together by means of hooked projections and slots and a lockingdevice, which facilitate the operation of putting them together or taking them apart.

Our invention also consists in a file for bolding postal cards, the file being composed of a series of cards or'leaves, each of which,with the exception of the last one of a series, is so cut away atone of its upper corners as to expose a portion of the card behind it, every card .being provided at the topof its cut-off cornerwith a letter of-the alphabet, the postal cards being respectively placed in front of the leaves bearing the letters corresponding to the initials of the surnames of the writers, in combination with the elastic bands for holding them together.

To enable others skilled in the art to underi and end being at right angles to the base, and.

the distance between the side pieces being a little greater than the width of the postal cards to be placed between them. Each side piece b is provided with four hook-shaped projec- ..tions, d, which pass through and catchover the edges of slots 0 in the base a and end piece 0, which construction facilitates the securing together of the parts, which are locked by a pin, f, passing through a hole in a projection, g, extending down from the under side of the end piece '0 through a slot in the base a. The.

base a is provided with a longitudinal slot, h, in which slides a block, 2', through the upper portion of which passes a transverse'rod, is, around the opposite extremities of which are coiled the ends of a spring, B, of the form seen, provided at the center of its top with aloop, l, by which it may be drawn back when desired, for a purpose presently to be'explained.

The position of the spring may be varied by sliding the block i within its slot 71., a clamping-screw, m, being provided for holding the parts when adjusted. At the top of the end piece 0 is a punch, G, for perforating the postal cards D, Fig. 8, a suitable gage, E, being provided for locating the position of the holes'n; formed at the opposite, edges. of

the cards, sothat when a number ofcards' are placed in a bunch, Fig. 7, a continuous groove or channel, 19, will beprod need, for the recept on of a cord or elastic band, q, by which they are conveniently held together for. future reference. If desired, however, each card may be provided with one or rnore holes, located away from its edges, so that when placed together the holes'will come into line and form an aperture for the passage of a binding-cord, wire, or other fastening.

G, Fig. 5, is a file, composed of a series of cards or leaves, 7, placed *between two-stiff covers, 8.. Each one of these'cards r, with the exception of the last one of a series, is.v cut away at its upper right-hand corner, on a bevel, and is providedat the top'ofthis cor ner with a letter of the alphabet, the severalcards serving asan indexed file. The portion of each card cut away is gradually reduced from front to rear,- so as, toexp'oswto view a:= portion of each card with its index-lettem-the beveled edges of thecards being parallel .120 each other; as seen in Fig; 5. As the 'wid-th of 'the file will notallow of'the' placing of'all theletters of the alphabet of the desired; size in a single line,-t-he index-cards"are arranged to secure byLetters'Patent; is

in two series, as shown, the cards of 'the'rear series being longer than those of thefrontse ries, in order that their respectiveletters may" be-visible. l i

The file above the holder A, in an upright"position where it is held by the-spring B," which is first drawn back by applying the'fingertothe'loop" l, to allow-the file to be entered. I

The postal cardsyas fast" as-receive'd, are punched at their edges, (see- Fig. 8;), and an ranged in the file-in front of the leaves rybearing the letters corresponding to theinitials of the writers surnames; and as; the thicknessof the file is increased by the accumulation" of postal cards, the springisadjnsted to correspond therewith;-by moving the slidingblockz. I

Themethod of cutting the index-cards of" the file above described is simple' and inexpensive, no dies-being required, as isthecaser in forming an index of the ordinary descrip tion, while great facility for readily examin-y ing the contents of the file is afforded.

described is placed-*withiw 1 When-tliefile contains as -m any postal cards as desired,'it is removed from the holder A, and the elastic-band q is sprung over the low- Ier end of the file and into the grooves or channels 12, Fig. 7, by which means the cards are seeurely eonfinedl in a form convenient for future reference, the holes being open at the sides, readily admittingof therwithdrawal of one or more cards without disarranging the ,others. i l I i Toprevent the liabilityof the cards at or .nearthe center of the bunch becoming disengaged from the band q, one or more auxiliary 'bands, as," may be used for drawing -theioppo- .site' sides of the outer band q toward each other and keeping them within the grooves 11.

A non-elastic cord or fastening may be used instead of the band-q, and the-coverstofthe .file may be dispensed 1 with ,*if desired: The iholder maybe so coustructedras to-allow' the ,cards to beplacedon *its bottom in a' horizon italor in aninclinedpositiong-zbilt when iso" placed;andthe'corners-"ofthe eards'are*turned up" for examination; some of i-theni1- are liable @to *beprid- "or drawn "out of th eir proper po= fsition i we; therefore;"- prefer "the constructibnfirst-described:

What we claim as our invention, and desire l 1; The"postal-cardiholder Approvided with the -adjustable sliding block iyearrying *thespring B; substantially as described. l i 2. The-post *l-card;-holder --consistin g of the slotted lbasem; sides *b- '0, adjustablesliding ?block' 6,-carrying the; spring B, and the punch;

(l, substantiallyassdescribedv y y 3." Thebase ayend andsidepieces c bgwith their slots e, amlhooked projecti'o'nsrdyloeked together by the" pin =f passing' 'through the proiectioirg, substantiallyas described: 4. The combination -of the indeir cards! or" leaves-r, cut away on perforated at-their opffl posite ed ges, so as to formgrooves or chan-l nels,withtheibinding cord q and theauxiliary I cord substantially-as described:

Witness our handsthis 29th day of February, AID. 18765 i GEORGE E. ROGERS.

, ALBERTD.=G()ODELL.' In presence ofl D. P. ABERoRoMBIE, 1).0. Roenasg 

